Artist Statement

Andrew Muggleton is a contemporary furniture designer working in Colorado. He designs and creates innovative, high quality modern furniture by bending and shaping exotic woods and blending other materials such as metal and glass to achieve the desired concept.

The method of making curved furniture is a complex process, which has been practiced for centuries. A shaped mould and a vacuum press are used. Many thin layers of wood are joined together, placed on the mould and inserted into a vacuum press. The vacuum press delivers a cumulative pressure of almost 4 tons, over the new design. Once the body of the work had been created in this way, the same process is used to apply beautiful veneer onto the surface.

Simplicity in life is difficult and complicated to achieve. It is easy to have too much going on and spend too much time organizing it. This is the same approach Andrew takes when designing furniture. Keeping the design simple is one of his hardest and most rewarding challenges. It is the desire for simplicity, which helps him avoid the common trap of filling empty space with unnecessary clutter.

Everything in nature is curved, from the smooth pebbles on a beach to an egg. Sharp jagged edges do not make you feel at ease, but a field of straw bending in the wind is inviting. This is the reason why his work involved such beautiful, subtle curves. Andrew involves engineering, structure and architecture in his pieces. These three elements inspire him constantly in everyday life. Buildings, bridges, archways, both new and old, all provide a fundamental foundation for his designs.

Education

1996 Bachelor of Engineering, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, England

Selected Exhibitions

2006 Smithsonian Craft Show, Washington, D.C.

2005 ACC Baltimore Winter Show, Baltimore, Maryland
Philadelphia Furniture & Furnishings show, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
CRAFTSBOSTON, Boston, Massachusetts

2004 ACC Baltimore Winter Show, Baltimore, Maryland
Philadelphia Furniture & Furnishings show, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2003 ACC Baltimore Winter Show, Baltimore, Maryland
Philadelphia Furniture & Furnishings show, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
New Millennium Cool…Living With Art Exhibition, Sedona Arts Center, Sedona, Arizona

2002 Boulder Art Festival. Best of Show award, Boulder, Colorado
Furniture on the Park, Denver, Colorado
Design to Function, Vail Symposium, Beaver Creak, Colorado

2001 Sculpture Objects & Functional Art, Chicago Exposition, Pismo Gallery, Denver, Colorado
Boulder Art Festival. Best of Show award, Boulder, Colorado

Selected Publications

The Washington Post
DC, MD, VA Home & Design
Phoenix Home & Garden Magazine
Sedona Home & Garden Magazine
Wood Art Today
LODO & Downtown Denver News
Boulder Daily Camera
Northern Home
Fine Woodworking
Architecture & Design of the West